Get in the Christmas Spirit
by SquickWrites
Summary: Nitori isn't really into Christmas.
1. Get in the Christmas Spirit

"I don't know, sometimes I feel like the break is longer than it needs to be." Nitori plopped another jacket into his bag before climbing down the ladder to reach the dresser.

"That's because most people _enjoy_ the winter holidays." Rin zipped the main section of his suitcase. "Especially Christmas."

Nitori nodded, pulling out a pair of sweatpants that he hadn't worn all year. "I get it, I get it. But come on, senpai." Nitori tossed the pants into his bag anyway, just in case. "Don't you celebrate it like, _every_ year?"

"Obviously." Rin dropped into the seat at his desk. "But don't you celebrate your birthday every year? Do you get sick of that?"

Nitori paused to stare at Rin. "You _don't_ get sick of people buying you cake and singing to you while you look around the room uncomfortably? People who hardly know you trying to make you feel special all day by doing things that they think you like, but you _definitely_ don't?" Nitori returned to his dresser, snagging a single sock. "I mean – you don't even get to eat the cake for yourself! Your family eats most of it."

Despite how offputting this was, Rin couldn't help grinning a bit. "You are surprisingly morbid, you know that?"

"Yes."

"Get in the Christmas spirit!" Rin shouted. "You get presents, and you can hang out with family, and you get presents. Also, it might snow!"

"Uh huh." Nitori nodded, sitting on Rin's bed. "I mean, maybe it's better for you. You live here."

"What?" Rin asked, suddenly piping up.

Nitori huffed. "I don't exactly live nearby." Nitori looked up to Rin. "But you knew that, right?"

Rin stared at Nitori, nodding slowly out of self defense. "Uh, duh. I totally knew that. I knew that completely."

"Of course you did." Nitori smiled, standing as he walked to his desk, staring at the mess he had accumulated over the year. "I love the people back home and all, but you guys are my friends now."

"Then you should stay with us over the break." Rin just kind of blurted that out.

Nitori raised a brow, leaning against his desk chair. "And skip out on my family?"

"Tell them to come here!"

"Senpai." Nitori chuckled, going back to his dresser. "It's a bit short notice for that, and I highly doubt it would happen anyway."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Rin stood up, dragging his suitcase over to the front door. "I'll get you, Nitori. You'll feel the Christmas spirit if it's the last thing I do."

"My flight is already booked, there is nothing we can do."

"You don't have to be _here_ to enjoy Christmas."

"If you say so." Nitori gathered a mass of tshirts into his arms, hauling them over to the base of the ladder where he dropped them. He did not know how to get them up the ladder. "How do we make this happen?"

Rin shook his head, leaning against the wall. "This is just break, Nitori. You don't have to take your entire wardrobe with you."

"But I don't know what's in style back home!"

"It's freezing outside; I assure that you will not be in need of any tshirts, much less a thousand."

"But I might-"

"No!'

"_Senpai_." Nitori whined, dramatically dropping to his knees and faceplanting in the pile of shirts. "I _need_ it."

"No, you do not." Rin pushed of of the wall, hefting Nitori up before he mounted the ladder. "You're sixteen years old. I should not have to do this for you."

"Senpai, what are you-" Nitori's complaints were met with a mass of shorts, tshirts, and sandals to the face. He could not believe this.

"I am helping you." Rin muttered, continuing to sort through his roommate's bag.

In retaliation, Nitori dashed to the front door, slamming into the wall as he grabbed Rin's suitcase and threw it open. "Then allow me to help you too!"

"Hey – hey what-" Rin span around on the top bunk to face the younger boy. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING."

All of the lycra. Nitori was holding all of the lycra in his hands. He was throwing it everywhere. It was raining lycra. "_Eight_ swimsuits? What? One for each day of the week – plus one in case you go twice one day?"

"THAT IS NOT FAIR."

"IT'S TOO COLD TO GO SWIMMING."

"INDOOR POOLS EXIST!"

Nitori zipped the bag shut. "Huh, if only I had considered that before."

"That's it." Rin jumped form the top bunk with a grace of a spidermonkey, and charged at his roommate.

"Senpai, no. No." Nitori tried to get to his feet and scramble away, screaming. "NO NO NO NO NO DON'T-'

Too late. Rin took him down. Nitori was a mass of flailing limbs, and confused whimpering. Rin pinned the boys arms down, straddling him.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Rin grinned, staring into Nitori's very _soul_.

"Am I supposed to say I'm sorry?" Nitori kicked his legs, trying to worm away from Rin. "I would if I WAS."

"You're asking for this." Rin smirked, leaning his face down to Nitori's.

"Begging for it." Nitori snarked, refusing to back down.

The door swung open. Seijuuro stood there in a pair of sweatpants and a Santa hat, brandishing a manual toothbrush.

"I don't know what this is, nor do I want to." The captain narrowed his eyes at the two roommates.

"No, there's nothing to worry about here." Rin cleared his throat, trying to explain.

Seijuuro shook his head, stopping him. "I didn't say I was worried. Do not try to tell me what this is, because I don't want to know."

"Right." Rin looked down, finally feeling slightly embarrassed.

"What I do know, is that that kid's flight leaves in a couple of hours." Seijuuro gestured to Nitori with his toothbrush. "I need him alive, or else _I'll_ have to explain whatever you do."

"Naturally." Rin nodded.

"So," Seijuuro began backing out of the door. "However far you go, make sure that he likes what you're doing."

Nitori had been silent the whole time, but he finally mumbled out an, "Oh."

"That is not the direction that we were going in." Rin defended himself, his tone even.

Seijuuro shrugged. "It sure looks like it." He turned to look at Nitori. "Ai – remember the safe word."

"Of course." Nitori nodded. "See you, Sei. Happy holidays."

"Thanks, kid." Seijuuro replied, closing the door as he slipped from the room.

The roommates sat in an uncomfortable silence.

"So..." Nitori shrugged, still pinned to the ground. "Yuletide spirit."

"Yeah." Rin nodded. "I'm gonna get you in that."


	2. Are you Feeling It?

"Feeling it?"

"No."

"And you're sure about that?" Rin leaned forward. "Take me out to your front yard again?"

"Shut up or I'll disconnect." Nitori placed his hand on the top of the laptop, threatening to close it on him.

"Hey – let's not get violent." Rin gave a half apology. But soon enough his face broke into a grin again. "Come on, at least let me see the hallway again."

"Stop!'

"Okay, okay."

Rin was being a jerk, but really, Nitori had set himself up for teasing. When the boy had gotten home, he'd texted some photos of his house to his roommate. Because the Nitori family was _that_ family. They were the ones with a yard full of reindeer and Santa Claus. Elves everywhere, lights lining the entire house. He reached his home the next night, so the lighting was in full swing. Half of the block was gathered at his house, marveling at the display.

His family hadn't slacked on the inside either. Why was everything red. Red and green, everywhere. There was wallpaper that looked like gift wrap, stockings hanging from every corner of the room. There were three people in this family. Why were there _so many stockings_. They had even put the Christmas tree in the atrium by the stairs where the ceiling was its absolute highest. This tree. Was so tall. They had decorated it from the top of the stairs, all the way down. There was one thing missing.

He sent another photo to Rin.

"So? Did your parents let Baby Aiichirou top the tree, yet?"

Nitori groaned, folding his arms as he bounced on his bed a bit. "_No_, we don't do that until midnight."

"On Christmas Eve's Eve."

"Did you call me _just_ to make fun of everything we do?" Nitori shrugged, rolling his eyes. "I don't need this from you."

Rin laughed on his end, leaning back into his chair. "This would explain why you hate Christmas."

"I don't _hate_ it." Nitori nodded his head side to side. "It's just, being special on Christmas isn't _that_ special anymore."

"That is such a sad life." Rin shook his head. "I'm going to fix you, if it's the last thing I do."

"And what's your mystic plan for that?" Nitori asked, picking up his computer so he could lay on his stomach. "Lay it on me."

"We're gonna... Obviously we'll..." Rin looked around his room, clawing for an answer. "Okay, I don't know yet."

"Genius."

"But when I do think of it, it's gonna work. And it's gonna work damn good."

"You better think of something soon." Nitori rose from his bed, swinging toward his closet.

"Why? What's wrong?"

Nitori scuffled back to his bed, plopping down and holding up what he had just retrieved. "We're going caroling in a couple of hours. Can't miss that."

Oh god the sweater. The sweater. It was red with white lines crossing through it, as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer hopped over snow piles with an enormously oversized head.

"This is amazing." Rin was trying his hardest not to laugh. "Please send me pictures of you in that sweater."

"_Only_ the sweater?" Nitori joked, wiggling an eyebrow.

Rin dropped his head in his hands, finally laughing. "I was thinking more a family photo, but that works too."

"I'll bring you some cookies when we get back to school." Nitori dropped to his stomach again, cradling the sweater under his arm. "Mom's sugar cookies are to _die_ for."

"Yeah but one more thing."

"What?"

"Tell me you don't have antlers."

At that exact moment, Nitori pulled the headband from behind his back, displaying them to his webcam in all of their brown felted glory.

"This is amazing." Rin gasped covering his mouth.

"Again, shut up."


	3. Happy Holidays!

"How's that ham looking, Ai?" Aiichirou's mother yelled from the other end of the kitchen.

"Uh, good, I think?" Aiichirou replied, staring at the meat as it simmered in the oven.

"No honey." His mother leaned around the fridge door to correct him. "You gotta poke it."

"I have to what?"

"Stab it with the thermometer, sweetie."

"Oh! Right. Okay." Aiichirou snagged the thermometer from a drawer nearby, rinsing it off before he jabbed the ham with it. "Where's dad?"

"Upstairs." Mrs. Nitori replied, finally leaving the fridge with arms full of assorted cheeses. "Why?"

"Just wanted to know." Aiichirou responded, pulling the thermometer from the ham. "That's a pretty high temperature, mom. I think that's good, right?"

"I sure hope so." Aiichirou's mother blew a strand of hair out of her face, squabbling over to the counter. At that second, the doorbell rang. She groaned, staring at her arms buried beneath all of that cheese. "Cheesy." She muttered.

"Mom, _no._" Aiichirou groaned, still kind of smiling though because it was so bad.

His mother blew at the hair once again, as it refused to stay out of her line of sight. "Can you get that, hun? I'm a little limbless right now."

Aiichirou laughed, helping his mother put the strand of hair behind her ear as he agreed. "I got it."

The boy sauntered from the kitchen toward the front door, licking the thermometer as he did so. This was going to be a really tasty ham, he realised, opening the door.

"HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"

"What are you doing?"

Okay so, probably, they had planned to say happy holidays altogether, but Rin was stupid and got distracted by the slightest thing, so he totally ditched the plan to ask why Aiichirou had answered the door while sucking on a metal stick. He nearly choked on the metal stick.

"Rin! Come on – you can't just bail on us like that." Gou whined to her brother, her spirit fingers and jazz hands never ceasing.

"Oh, right." Rin stared at his sister, then looked to his roommate, shrugging as he rolled his eyes. "Happy holidays."

"I don't understand." Aiichirou whispered, softly closing the door.

Just then his mother emerged from the kitchen, a stick of celery in hand. "Who was that?"

"This is a situation that I don't think I'm ready to deal with." Aiichirou replied, turning to her.

"Huh?" She squinted at him, shaking her head. "No, let them in."

"Ok." He said. He turned to the door again. And opened it.

"Happy holidays?" Gou tried again, looking slightly dejected this time.

"Merry Christmas." Aiichirou replied, kind of absently as he stared at the family before him.

"So." Rin shoved his gloved hands into his coat pockets. "Are we allowed to come in? Or is that not something you're gonna let us do?"

"Oh." Aiichirou backed away from the door, allowing the three to shuffle inside.

Mrs. Nitori gasped, tossing the celery onto the counter. "Karin! Look at you!" She basically attacked Mrs. Matsuoka, wrapping her in a tight hug like they were old friends.

Were they old friends?

They weren't old friends, were they?

That wouldn't even make sense.

"_Are_ you guys friends?" Aiichirou asked blankly, pointing at the two women with the thermometer.

"I'd like to think so." His mother replied with a smile.

Mrs. Matsuoka shrugged. "Parent coffees, exchanged contact information – I had to know who my son was living with."

"Likewise. And it would be rude to just never speak again."

Aiichirou nodded _very_ slowly. "Oh. Right."

"Weird, right?" Gou leaned over, reaching an arm around his shoulders. "Our moms are all _buddy buddy_."

"I mean, I guess it's cool." Aiichirou shrugged. Then he paused, and turned to her. "BUT WHY ARE YOU HERE."

Gou suddenly dropped a glare on the boy that he couldn't begin to fathom. "We heard you were missing the yuletide spirit."

"So you showed up _at my house_?"

"It isn't like we just popped up unannounced."

"That – that is exactly what seems to have happened."

"Oh no, no." Mrs. Matsuoka waved that idea away. "We called ahead, don't worry."

"Mom? You knew this?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't _tell_ me?"

"Yes."

"YOU SEEM SO SELF SATISFIED."

"Yes."

"WHY DID YOU DO THIS."

"Partially." Rin grabbed Aiichirou's shoulders, walking him away from the others. "Because I completely wanted to see you in the sweater."

Aiichirou groaned. "I cannot believe this."

"Partially," Rin turned the younger boy to face him. "Because I wanted to see the house in person – and also finally meet your parents."

"You could have just asked to video chat them I would have let you."

"And partially," Rin looked Aiichirou in the eye, holding a steady gaze. "Because I wanted to see you."

He was quiet for a second, sort of stunned, but then he got over it. "Again, video chat could have solved these problems – and I would feel way less embarrassed."

"Besides!" Gou called over to them. "You've been to our place before – and so've your parents."

"Equal exchange." Mrs. Nitori smiled. "It was their turn to visit us."

"Completely worth it – the yard does not disappoint." Mrs. Matsuoka looked around. "And neither does this interior; I mean, wow."

"Ooh, ooh, come look at the tree!" The mothers grabbed hands, dashing off up the stairs to get a better view of the room, Gou tagging along behind them.

In their temporary absence, Aiichirou snagged Rin by the collar of his coat, dragging him aside to the dimly lit dining room.

"How the hell did you do this." Aiichirou hissed, letting him go.

Rin knew that Aiichirou was kind of actually annoyed, but he was also kind of pleasantly surprised, even though that second part was kind of hard to find. "Planes are, contrary to your belief, easily accessible."

"But it was such-"

"Short notice?" Rin finished the sentence. "Come on, Ai. My mom let me decide to go to Australia for four years in the middle of my fifth year of school. Then, she let me go to the _top swimming school in the country_ right when I got back."

"She is wrapped around your finger."

Rin stared at Aiichirou in blank horror. "What? No. God, no. She just likes me, and wants the best for me like any other mom. Also she loves your whole family and wanted a family vacation."

"Ah, there it is." Aiichirou nodded, leaning against a wall.

"But tell me, really." Rin leaned next to him. "Is it working? Are you a little happier? Because we can leave if we upset you."

"No, I like you guys."

"Oh. Good."

"Thank you. I think." Aiichirou lowered his head, looking up at his roommate.

Rin grinned. "One more time."

"What?"

"Are you feeling it?"

Aiichirou shrugged. "I don't know, maybe later."

Rin pushed off of the wall, placing a hand on either side of Aiichirou's head as he looked him dead in the eyes. "Are you _feeling _it?"

"I don't know what purpose this was supposed to serve."

"Come on." Rin pressed closer to his roommate as their bodies connected, never breaking his stare. "_Are you feeling it?_"

"I-" Aiichirou looked over to a corner, flushing a bit. "I am feeling a _lot_ of things right now, and I'm not entirely sure that yuletide spirit is one of them."

Rin groaned, rolling his eyes as he pulled away from the shorter boy. "You're killing the mood."

"There is _no_ mood." Aiichirou began walking back toward the atrium. "It is Christmas Eve, and our entire families are upstairs. There is no mood."

But Rin just shrugged, wrapping his arms around Aiichirou's waist and walking him out into the hall. "But _only _the sweater."

"Stop that."


End file.
